How to Make a Dinner Reservation in Italian. While vacationing in Italy, you've found the perfect little restaurant where you and your partner can enjoy a nice, fancy dinner overlooking the town square. The only problem is, you need to call and make a reservation - and you don't speak Italian. Making a dinner reservation at a restaurant in Italy isn't as hard as it may seem. Here's how to get the perfect table without spending weeks memorizing phrases.

Get the restaurant's phone number from a guide book.

Dial the number that's in the guide book if you're using a local land line. If you're using your cell phone, you'll have to dial the international access code (011 if you're from the U.S. or Canada, 00 from Europe), followed by Italy's code (39), then the number.

Say "Vorrei prenotare un tavola per due" ("I'd like to reserve a table for two") "per strasera/domani sera" ("for this evening/tomorrow evening") "alle venti" ("at 8:00"). Consult your phrase book if you need to tell them a different day or time.

Tell them your name by saying "Mi chiamo ___".

Let them know if you have any special requests. You can do this by saying "Vorremo sederci fuori / vicino alla finestra / con la vista / a una tavola tranquilla" ("We'd like to sit outside / by the window / with a view / at a quiet table").

Tell the host you have a reservation when you arrive at the restaurant by saying "Ho una prenotazione per due persone".

Tip

Use your Italian phrase book to get the phonetic spelling of each of the phrases above and write them all down on a 'cheat sheet' that you can keep handy for reference. That way, you won't have to guess at pronunciation or fumble through your book while on the phone.

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